Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder resulting from exposure to shocking and/or distressing events. Many veterans experience PTSD because of their wartime experiences. For example, PTSD can result in persistent flashbacks, nightmares, difficulty sleeping, and significant impairment of social and occupational function.
PTSD is understood to result in neuroendocrinological changes as well, as brain morphology. As a result, some patients are known to have atypical biochemical levels associated with the sympathetic nervous system, or the system that controls the “fight or flight” response. Fear is thought to be closely associated with these neurobiological conditions.
Various attempts have been made to treat PTSD including psychotherapy, medication, and combinations of therapies. However, while medications have shown benefit in reducing PTSD symptoms, there is no clear drug treatment for PTSD. This may be because such treatment is symptom-oriented and does not necessarily cause the patient to recover from the disorder.
Alternative approaches to solving the problems presented by PTSD could desirably treat the neurobiological conditions established by the traumatic events rather than merely reducing the symptoms suffered by patients experiencing PTSD. For example, psychological and neuropsychological studies suggest a correlation with treating areas of the human brain, such as the hippocampus and amygdale, and improvement for veterans suffering with PTSD.
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